UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT WELCOMES NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PLANNED GIVING

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Clay Davis, associate director of medical/health administration at the University of Florida, has been named associate director of planned giving for the University of Arkansas, effective Dec. 2, 2002.

"We are delighted to welcome Clay Davis to University of Arkansas development," said Sandra K. Edwards, assistant vice chancellor for university development. "As a University of Arkansas alumnus with legal experience in Arkansas he is coming home to a state and an institution he values and respects."

The associate director of planned giving helps plan and implement the University’s planned giving priorities and institutional advancement activities. The position reports to the director of planned giving, Jim Harris, and is part of an overall university advancement program.

Harris said, "We are very fortunate to have Clay as part of our team. His experience and expertise will prove invaluable to planned giving, our donors and the University of Arkansas."

Planned giving assists benefactors with estate planning by providing financial illustrations about different gift techniques that may have a significant benefit not only to the donor, but to the University of Arkansas as well. Such techniques range from specific bequests to charitable remainder and lead trusts.

At the University of Florida, Davis was responsible for providing the Health Science Center with contracting and legal services and was primarily responsible for structuring and drafting charitable gift agreements supporting UF’s clinical service mission and the establishment of medical educational opportunities for UF students and resident physicians across the state of Florida.

Davis began his legal career as a tax attorney with the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock where he specialized in estate and gift taxation and family business planning. He was also general counsel and chief financial officer for a privately held company in Springdale. He received his master of laws in taxation (LL.M.) from the University of Florida, his juris doctor (J.D.) from the University of Arkansas and his bachelor of arts in business and economics from Hendrix College.

Davis said, "I’m thrilled about the opportunity to return to Northwest Arkansas to help my alma mater continue to strengthen its fund-raising efforts. Planned giving has so much potential to truly help benefactors make smart decisions about their estate and tax planning, while at the same time providing for a generous gift to the university."

During the 2001-2002 fiscal year, the University of Arkansas received approximately $39 million in bequests alone.